Preventive Care for Dogs
Commit to a lifetime of health.
You’ve made it through the first year with your dog or cat and they are in the prime of their life. Generally, dogs are adults from 1-6 years old. Even though they may seem fine, it is vitally important to their long-term health to be seen at least once a year for Preventive Care Exam.
Yearly Preventive Care Visit
During adult dog’s Preventive Veterinary Care visit, your pet will receive a thorough physical examination, age appropriate vaccinations/immunizations, preventive care testing, and we will discuss different aspects of keeping your pet healthy.
Your Adult Dog’s Yearly Schedule
Approximately, a year after your puppy’s last vaccinations we will need to see your now adult dog for a checkup, booster vaccinations, and preventive care testing. Every year we will do the following:
- Preventive Care Exam
- Booster Vaccinations (most dogs will receive the following vaccinations)
- Rabies (required in Cuyahoga and most surrounding counties). This booster is good for 3 years
- Distemper, Hepatitis/Adenovirus, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus (DHLPP) The DHPP portion is good for 3 years once boostered at 16 months old. The Leptospirosis vaccine is only good for 1 year.
- Bordetella – we recommend this vaccination, which protects against kennel cough, if your dog is “social”, meaning it comes into contact with other dogs (even through a fence). Bordetella needs to be boostered yealy.
- Lyme – unfortunately Lyme disease has come to Northeast Ohio. So if your dog plays in the backyard or goes into the woods we recommend this vaccination which needs to be boostered yearly.
- Blood work – Heartworm/Tick Disease Test, Basic Blood Chemistry, and Complete Blood Count
- Urinary Screen
- Infrared Imaging Screen (Middleburg Hts Office only)
Fecal Test (every 6 months)
We recommend your dog be tested for intestinal parasites every 6 months. We only need a fresh, teaspoon size stool sample.
Monthly Preventative
Your dog should be on a broad-spectrum, monthly, parasite preventative all year round.
What should I bring to my adult Dog’s First Visit?
Please bring any records from the people you adopted your dog from. This way we can get birth date, breed, and previous vaccination history.
Also please bring a fresh, teaspoon-sized stool sample.
Questions to ask us at your adult dog’s visit
- How do I transition from puppy food to an adult diet?
- What should my pet weigh?
- Does my pet need a fecal exam?
- What’s the best way to brush my dog’s teeth?
- What’s the best way to deal with fleas, ticks and other parasites?
- Is it time for a dental cleaning?
- What vaccinations does my dog need?
- Are there things I can do to keep my dog even healthier?
How can I save money and budget my Adult Dog’s preventive veterinary care?
First, by getting preventive veterinary care, we can protect your pet from many problems and detect others before they become too serious. It is always better for your pet’s health and your wallet to prevent problems!
For those of you that would like to save money on your dog’s or cat’s preventive care, we offer ABC Pet Health Plans. These are Affordable, Bundles, of Care and include the services we recommend for your dog or cat at a particular life stage (Puppy/Kitten, Adult, Senior, Geriatric). These plans also include unlimited exams and discount on certain services and products.
To schedule your dog’s annual exam, call us at (440) 234-5831 or request an dog exam appointment online.
